Blown-in insulation, so what?

It is not surprising that when you talk with someone about our differences in how we insulate their eyes glaze over.  However, it is very important.  In a market that is no longer a "buy & flip", but a "hold for the long term" as in years past.  Features like insulation, heating systems, quality levels of materials, etc are important for the lasting value of a home.  Considering that buying a home is only half of the transaction, the other half is when it is sold in 5 - 10 years.  What features will provide that lasting value that older homes and many of the other new homes on the market will not have.  I have commented on our testing and heating systems in the past, now I am going to talk about insulation and why blown-in bib (BIB) insulation should be an important feature to a home owner.

The difference between BIB insulation and batt insulation is that batt insulation is rolled up insulation that is unrolled an applied between wall studs, ceilings trusses and floor joists.  Which means that it rolls over any electrical conduit, plumbing, heating ducts, etc. and cannot fill in the entire void between the wall studs or joists.  This leaves pockets or voids where the insulation couldn't insulate which will allow for heat to escape.  However, BIB insulation is just that, insulation blown into a wall or ceiling cavity leaving no air pockets or voids.  The result is densely packed insulation producing higher R values, cuts down air infiltration and slowing the transfer of temperature in a wall or ceiling cavity through the flow of air.  This reduces both sound transmission as well as energy loss.

At Marnella Homes, our current wall BIB system,for our Volare town homes in Happy Valley, is tested and documented at a R24 rating.  Code only requires a R21 rating for walls and our ceilings have a R49 rating with code only requiring R38.  This is a significant increase in insulating performance.  The R value insulation ratings are used to measure insulations ability to resist heat flow. The higher the R value, the more effective it is.  For more information on what the "R" value for insulation is, see the following link: http://rvalue.net

This results in a direct benefit to the home owner in reduced energy costs.  Combined with the other performance enhancements, like a high efficiency furnace and hot water heater significantly reduce monthly energy expenses.  Money each and every month that you keep in your pocket.  It today's world every dollar saved is important.  At Volare, our town home owners are saving on average $40 a month compared to a home built to code.  These home owners are not only enjoying a more comfortable living environment, but they have extra cash to either save or treat themselves to something well deserved.